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Home My WebLink AboutIR 8803INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS C +1n To the Mayor and Members of the City Council No. 8803 October 24, 2006 Page 1 of 3 SUBJECT: 2006 Homeland Security Grant Program Report and Background on Staff Concern of Current State Grant Process The purpose of this Informal Report is to brief the City Council on the status of the 2006 Homeland Security Grant Program and staff concern with the state grant process. Backeround The Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) is awarded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through State Administrative Agents (state), to jurisdictions on the basis of risk and other demographic factors. The grants provide assistance in enhancing local and regional capability to prevent, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and natural disasters. Over the past three years, the DHS has encouraged regions to strengthen collaboration efforts and seek benefits available through cooperative action. Fort Worth participates with other North Central Texas Council of Governments (COG) jurisdictions to develop and implement methods and projects to increase regional and individual community readiness, in alignment with Federal and State homeland security strategies. In June 2006, the DHS awarded the FY 2006 Homeland Security Grant Program (Grant) to the state for distribution to local government and urban area sub - grantees. On September 29, 2006 the Governor's Office forwarded sub - recipient agreements to all jurisdictions receiving funds in FY 2006. Under the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program within the HSGP, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Grants and Training combined the Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas working groups into one Metropolitan UASI. The combined Fort Worth- Arlington- Dallas UASI was awarded $13,415,100.00 in funding to develop and sustain local and regional homeland security goals and objectives. A Metropolitan Urban Area Working Group was created to facilitate collaboration and governance of a regional homeland security strategy and capability. Current Situation The City of Fort Worth has been awarded $2,484,395.67 through the 2006 Grant. The award includes $2,252,065.67 from the Urban Area Security Initiative program, and $232,330.00 from the Metropolitan Medical Response System program. The period of performance for the 2006 Grant is through February 28, 2008. At this point in the process, the City has received the grant agreement from the State. Staff has placed an item on today's City Council agenda to seek approval to accept the award. Attached to the informal report is a listing of the projects proposed to be funded. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8803 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council October 24, 2006 wTEO Page 2 of 3 • - SUBJECT: 2006 Homeland Security Grant Program Report and Background on Staff Concern of Current State Grant Process Proposed Memorandum of Understandine by the State The 2006 Grant is actually comprised of several distinct grant programs to which a jurisdiction can apply for or be awarded funding including State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program ( LETPP). Within the SHSP and LETPP grant programs, the state is legally required to pass through a minimum of 80 percent of the award down to local jurisdictions. Jurisdictions receiving funds under the two grants noted in the above paragraph also receive a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from the state. The MOU gives the state the authority to "expend Homeland Security Grant Funding on behalf of the local jurisdiction receiving the funds. The City of Fort Worth did not receive a MOU because it did not receive funds from the State Homeland Security Program or the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program. Concern with Current State Process The state withheld the funds during the local project selection process and, therefore, a number of local projects were not funded. The MOU sent to local jurisdictions would make the funding withheld available to fund state projects. The instructions sent to local jurisdictions along with the sub - recipient agreement stated the MOU must be returned by November 1, 2006, in order to receive their grant award. The State needs the funding withheld from the State Homeland Security Program and Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program to fund state projects such as Texas Data Exchange, Live Scan and the Regional Exercise Program as a priority for the state. A similar situation existed in the FY 2005 grant year. The state required each region to fund radio interoperability before moving on to other projects. Our region successfully met the state priority to fund interoperable radio projects to a target level before funding local projects. Given this success in meeting a "state- wide" project goal, we are concerned over the practice of withholding funds with the intent to fund state projects. This practice can result in regional grant funds being used outside the region. After a great deal of concern expressed by jurisdictions across the state, the state has now stated the MOU is entirely voluntary and that the jurisdictions may return it unsigned. Any funding withheld will be sent back to the region to be distributed to the remaining eligible projects within the region. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS U*,p,arF , +•n Future Actions To the Mayor and Members of the City Council No. 8803 October 24, 2006 Page 3 of 3 SUBJECT: 2006 Homeland Security Grant Program Report and Background on Staff Concern of Current State Grant Process The City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County law enforcement agencies support the Live Scan and Texas Data Exchange projects and would benefit from the implementation. Our main concern is in the approach the state is using to secure funding for these projects. Cities like Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, among others, have asked Fort Worth to express our concerns with the state on its approach in attempting to divert local funds for state projects. Unless the Council has any reservations, the Staff will communicate its support to the other cities in Texas and asked that the state discontinue any efforts to withhold or divert local funds and, likewise, encourage the state to practice a more collaborative approach in developing and funding state priorities. Charles R. Boswell City Manager Attachment: Proposed 2006 UASI Project List ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS Proposed 2006 UASI Project List Investment # Description Dept Final Allocation 1 UE Inv & Op PD $ 100,000.00 1 Radio Cache IT $ 55,000.00 Develo a cache of handheld radios for sure use in a disaster 2 WIFI 4.9 MHz IT $ 250,000.00 Phase II of the CFW wireless data network to provide access to public safety units in remote location during disasters. 3 Security for CFW Convention Center PE $ 77,000.00 Hardening security measures for CIP facilities and equipment. 4 Satellite Phones IT $ 30,000.00 Develop redundancy in communications for key critical facilities during a disaster 4 Training OEM $ 190,000.00 Conduct Enhance Unified Incident Management Training for Key Personnel 5 EOD Capability FD $ 130,000.00 Enhance EOD equipment to respond during a CBRNE threat. 6 SWAT Vehicle PD $ 240,000.00 Develop rescue unit to extricate during CBRNE incidents. 7 Exercise OEM $ 25,000.00 Conduct CBRNE exercises to evaluate community readiness during disasters and CBRNE incidents 8 USAR Structural Collapse Technician II Trng FD $ 100,000.00 8 USAR Vehicle FD $ 500,000.00 Develop a rescue response unit for mass casualty and CBRNE incidents 9 EPAB MCI Capability EPAB $ 50,000.00 Enhance transportation coordination during mass casualty incidents involving CBRNE agents. 10 Conference System IT $ 96,000.00 Develop a voice conference bridge for use during disasters 10 DOJ Comm Equipment IT $ 41,000.00 Enhance voice radio communications during disasters. 10 Mobile Emergency Corn Tower IT $ 100,000.00 Develo a mobile backup communications tower. 10 RACES VAN OEM $ 40,000.00 Develop a communication vehicle to support incident management during CBRNE agents andspecial events. 11 Community Preparedness PD $ 65,000.00 Raise the readiness level of the business community through re aredness efforts. 11 Pub Education OEM $ 27,000.00 Raise the preparedness of citicens through public education programs. 12 OEM Planner(s) OEM $ 136,065.67 Enhance emergency planning, and exercise programs through re aredness efforts and coordination TOTAL $2,252,065.67